Victor J Pellegrino (1948-2009), Attorney

Our firm is saddened to announce that our beloved friend, partner, confidant, and skilled counselor, Victor Pellegrino,  lost his courageous battle with cancer on  June 5, 2009.  Victor's passion for the law and defense of the accused is a loss for our profession, but especially for our firm.  Victor was more than a lawyer to anyone who had the privilege of meeting him.   As our friend, Victor was selfless with his time.  As an attorney, Victor was a highly sought after DUI attorney with a command of the courtroom as he represented the rights of his clients with integrity and passion.  As a nationally known DUI speaker and current Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, Victor was inspiring and dedicated to his profession as he strived to teach others.  As a family man, Victor was loving and committed.  As an attorney, Victor was a quiet strength in our judicial system  and one of our  nation's best  DUI lawyers. 

Victor was a 1977 graduate of the Vermont Law School and was admitted to the Florida Bar during that same year.  As a founding member and Regent of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), he frequently lectured throughout the country and for the Florida Bar, NACDL, FACDL, state and local bar associations.  Having served as lead counsel in over 1,000 DUI cases throughout his career,  Victor's  reputation  among his peers , his clients, and the judicial system  defined a man committed to his profession  and determined to make a difference in the lives of all he met. 

Victor is survived by his  wife, Brenda; parents, John & Amelia; sisters Irene  Matye and her husband Brian,  Diane and her husband JD; daughter Stephanie Sweeney and her husband Dave; sons, Victor and his  wife Andrea, and John; three grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. 

We celebrate Victor's life with his family whom he cherished and with the countless number of friends whom he leaves better for having known him.  To honor his life and passion for teaching our profession, BCPP will establish a law scholarship in his name.  The Victor J. Pellegrino Law Scholarship will benefit  law students who are pursuing their dream to become passionate in the defense of others. 

A service to honor Victor's life will be held on Friday, June 12 at 1pm at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Tampa, Florida.  The family will receive friends on Thursday, June 11, from 5-8pm at the Boza & Roel Funeral Home, Tampa, Florida. 

A quiet and gentle man, Victor would not like for us to boast about his many legal accomplishments throughout his years of practice.  We believe that Victor's life is best honored by sharing an email he recently received from one of his NCDD seminar attendees.   Victor was likened to Humphrey Bogart at the point that this famous actor was ill.  When Bogart had been visited by Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey , he commented that as a result of losing so much weight he could  easily fit inside the dumbwaiter.   Hepburn softly  said of Bogart- little guy, he was the biggest man I ever knew.  As this seminar attendee reflected in his email, he concluded Vic, you are one of the biggest guys I have ever known. 

Our firm, agrees.   Rest in peace, dear  friend.

BOARD CERTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR DUI DEFENSE

VICTOR J. PELLEGRINO is a partner in the criminal law firm of BAUER, CRIDER, PELLEGRINO & PARRY, with offices in Tampa and Clearwater, Florida. He is a 1977 graduate of Vermont Law School, and was admitted to The Florida Bar that same year. His practice is limited to defending DUI cases throughout Florida. He is a founding member and current Regent of the National College For DUI Defense, Inc. (NCDD) He is a frequent lecturer for The Florida Bar, NACDL and FACDL. He has lectured on numerous DUI issues and trial tactics for the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Associations of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Clearwater and Hillsborough County Bar Associations, Stetson Law School Public Defender Clinic, The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Florida Public Defender Association, Inc., 1985 Summer Conference, Seventh Annual Southeastern DUI Offender Systems Conference Panel (1991), the 20th Annual Medical Examiners Educational Program Medico-Legal Investigation of Traffic Fatalities seminar (1992). He has served as lead counsel in approximately 1,000 DUI jury trials dating back to 1978. He has previously lectured on the topic of ethics of the DUI practitioner and prosecutor for NCDD, NACDL and FACDL. He is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell